N.C. Gen. Stat. § 117-43

Articles of consolidation or merger shall be filed with the Secretary of State, who shall forthwith prepare one or more certified copies thereof and forward one to the register of deeds of each county in which a portion of the territory of the filing corporation is authorized to furnish service, which registers of deeds shall forthwith file such certified copy in their respective offices and record the same as articles of incorporation are recorded. As soon as the provisions of this section have been complied with, the new consolidated corporation or the surviving merged corporation, described and named in the articles so filed, shall become and constitute a body corporate in accordance with the provisions of such articles.